THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS, ADMINISTRATOR COMPETENCIES, AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION TO BE USED BY UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS IN MISSOURI

In 1983 the Missouri State Board of Education approved the adoption of certification standards for a Special Education Administrators' Certificate which became effective September 1, 1986. One of the major certification requirements included the course Foundations and Administration of Special Education. Although the Missouri State Board of Education made a substantial step forward by mandating certification requirements for a special education administrators' certificate, technical assistance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was not provided to university personnel regarding course content and structure for Foundations and Administration of Special Education.;All materials developed through Project Foundations and Administration of Special Education (Project F.A.S.E.) were completed utilizing a panel comprised of university professors, directors of special education, and a state department representative, each of whom are currently employed in Missouri. Through Project F.A.S.E. activities, seven instructional units were identified. A total of 66 special education administrator competencies were specified for the seven instructional units. These special education administrator competencies were subsequently rank ordered by 324 Missouri directors of special education. The administrator competencies indicated for each instructional unit were then rank ordered based on the mean rankings by the above group.;The next part of this study involved the development of instructional materials and student evaluation activities for each of the special education administrator competencies. Instructional material evaluation documents were also developed for students and instructors. The Project F.A.S.E. manual, which was professionally packaged by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will eventually be distributed and reviewed with university professors in Missouri through an inservice activity.;One purpose of this study was to investigate special education administration training programs to secure administrator competencies which have been developed by other state departments of education and universities throughout the nation. Through this investigation and through a systematic development process, the second purpose of this study was to develop a product which included instructional units, special education administrator competencies associated with those units, instructional materials, and student evaluation activities designed for Foundations and Administration of Special Education.